Thunderstruck
by ReplaceWithSomethingWitty
Summary: First chapter is a songfic: After six years, Haku finally comes back for Chihiro...But on what terms? A war's looming on the horizon of the Spirit World, and only Haku, Chihiro, and their friends can help stop it. ChihiroXKohaku OCXOC
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: The song is "Lion" from the Narnia Soundtrack, sung by Rebecca St. James, I believe. I was listening to it and thought: Hm...that would work...And here is the finished product.**

**THIS WILL END UP BEING MORE THAN ONE CHAPTER!!! It's not JUST a songfic.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything. At all. **

Chihiro sighed to herself as she stared out the window at the storm. Lightning flashed and her radio crackled, changing to another channel. She reached to change it back, but the song that had come on made her stop.

_Mysterious_

_That's what I call You_

_I'm curious about You_

_I'm scared and not sure that You are safe_

_But Your eyes seem to say that You are good_

She remembered Haku--how she had first met him. How she had been a whiny little girl and had been such a scaredy cat...But he had helped her and become her first friend. And yet everyone else seemed to think he was pure evil. Sometimes even _she_ wondered.

_This is not a dream that I'm living_

_This is just a world of Your own_

_You took me from all that I knew_

_Shown me how it feels to hope_

_With You with me, facing tomorrow together_

_I can learn to fly_

_Feels like I'm living in a lion's mouth, but the lion is (an angel)_

Those three days were like a dream now; the most realistic dream in the history of the world. She had learned so much, grown so much...Haku, Lin, No Face, Boh...Even Yubabba had taught her something, helped her grow. "Haku," she whispered, tears filling her eyes as she stared out across storm-cloud-covered woods. Through the gloom she could just make out the lights of the Bathhouse...misty and smeared from the magic between the Spirit World and Human World.

_Wise eyes, You see the core of me_

_Your gentleness melts me_

_And now I know that words cannot describe_

_The power that I feel when I'm with You_

One of the thousands of drawings in her room was lying in front of her. She looked down at it and gazed into the deep green eyes. She remembered how they had glinted like cold steel in the elevator, how they had shown such warmth when he comforted her; how she had seen so much anguish and hopelessness in them when he had been a dragon and close to death. "Where are you?" She sobbed, tears dripping from her face like rain from the clouds, splattering on the perfectly rendered image of Haku.

_This is not a dream that I'm living_

_This is just a world of Your own_

_You took me from all that I knew_

_Shown me how it feels to hope_

_With You with me, facing tomorrow together_

_I can learn to fly_

_Feels like I'm living in a lion's mouth, but the lion is_

"You promised--you PROMISED," she sobbed, collapsing on the desk, her shoulders heaving with each sob. /I hate you!/ She thought bitterly. How could he put her through such agony?! It had been six years; SIX YEARS!!

_Peace and power, love forever_

_Who am I to stand before You?_

_I am speechless_

_But in my weakness_

_You are here and all is well_

"Help me, please," she whispered, her voice breaking as she looked back up at the window. She thought that she saw a glimmer of silver in the storm, but it was gone the next moment. You promised, you promised...the thought kept running through her mind like an old record that replayed the same thin over and over...

_You took me from all that I knew_

_Shown me how it feels to hope_

_With You with me, facing tomorrow together_

_I can learn to fly_

_Feels like I'm living in a lion's mouth, but the lion is (an angel)_

She would gladly have gone to another world, another, completely hostile world, if he was there. She just wanted to see him again...She had already gone to another world which she knew nothing of to see him. He had shown her what it meant to hope: She hoped, every second of her life after that meeting, that he'd fulfill his promise. That she could hear his voice...It was hell on earth when he never appeared.

He had taught her face each day and never run from her problems: they'd only catch up and beat the hell out of you. Now she was a tomboy; nobody messed with her because she'd beat the hell out of them if they asked for it.

He had taught her to fly: live like there's no tomorrow. Never give up. You can do anything you set your mind to...

Life was like living in the Lion's Mouth...but if you know how to deal with that lion, it can be an angel to you.

_This is not a dream that I'm living_

_This is just a world of Your own_

_You took me from all that I knew_

_Shown me how it feels to hope_

_With You with me, facing tomorrow together_

_I can learn to fly_

_Feels like I'm living in a lion's mouth, but the lion is (an angel)..._

She saw the silver again--but this time she shot up, knocking over the radio from the desk: Her eyes weren't deceiving her. It was really him! She saw the familiar silver scales, the horns and the sea green mane...It was Kohaku...A new wave of tears spilled out of her eyes: this time, though, they were joyful, disbelieving tears, instead of drops of despair.

She tried to open the window, putting one hand on the desk to steady herself, but ended up putting it on the sharp side of a pencil. As she held her throbbing hand she knew it wasn't a dream. She felt a wind--just like the one that had pulled her into the Spirit World--flow through her room, sending drawings and sketches of dragons and boys flying.

He was finally fulfilling his promise.

Just as she managed to throw her window open a flash of lightning ripped the heavens, and she screamed, "HAKU!"

He was falling...falling...falling...

_...is an angel..._

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_**This will end up being more than just this chapter...The others will probably not be songfics though.**_

_**Hope you liked it. And the ending is a bit sad, but it gets better later (I'm writing it as I speak...)**  
_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I don't like this chapter much for some reason.**

He was falling...Falling...falling...

Chihiro wasn't paralyzed this time: She had to save him; no matter what.

She jumped around as she tugged on her sneakers, a jacket and a baseball cap that one of her friends had given her from a visit to America. Then she put her hair into a ponytail with the band her Spirit friends made for her six years ago.

Then she hurled herself out of her room, down the stairs, and out of the house. Her mom was out at a Sewing Club meeting, while her dad was at work. Chihiro thanked God that they weren't there to slow her down--Haku could by dying...he could even be dead already. An image of blackened scales and smoldering fur flashed through Chihiro's mind.

NO! She reprimanded herself for even thinking that. She would have known if he had died. She just would have known, somehow...

She entered the forest, her sopping wet ponytail _fwapping_ as she ran, her soaked sneakers squelching as they hit the muddy trail. She had an estimate of where he had landed and she veered off the road, crashing through the underbrush as she went. Branches scratched at her exposed skin, blood mixing with rain. Her lungs hurt from running so hard, but it was worth it...

She loved him.

Over the six long years, she had two or three boyfriends. It was only because, sometimes, her faith in Haku wavered and she decided she needed to live a little. Yet the boyfriends only lasted (at most) a week, and she truly realized they were nothing compared to Haku. She loved HIM: and nothing would change that.

She finally stumbled into a clearing with fallen trees littering the ground. In the center of the split branches and splintered wood was a familiar dragon. His once silver-white scales were charred and his sea-green mane was scorched. There was a bit of fried-smelling steam curling from his long, slender body.

_And he wasn't moving._

Chihiro's world ground to a halt as she stared in horror at the scene. "Haku!" Her terrified whisper met only the torrent of rain that was falling from the heavens. She picked her way forward and knelt by his head. His scales began to disappear, just as they had long ago when he was bleeding inside out and half dead from a spell...

Soon he was left in his humanoid form, lying on his front in the mud; his uniform was torn and burned. She gently pulled him over and examined the damage, as well as how much he had grown. He looked to be her age, but there was something about him (even in his close-to-death sate) that gave off an aura of power and knowledge far beyond the age of sixteen.

She brushed away some blood from his cheek and began to think of ways to get him back to her house. She sighed to herself. _If only he hadn't aged--then I could carry him..._

Her wet hair was making her hair band to come out, and she just took it out to save it the trouble. As she st there, fiddling with the band, her anxiety for Haku's well-fare growing, she vaguely wondered if she should leave to get help. She quickly dismissed the idea--she might ever find him again, or she might be too late. A wave of despair hit her like a Tsunami and tears began to fall from her eyes. One splattered against Haku's face, and another fell on her hair-band...

And then she realized rain was no longer falling on them. She looked up to see that they were in her room; Haku was now lying on her bed, and her desk, next to it, was littered with soggy papers. Cold wind flew through the open window, bringing with it a gust of rain. She hurriedly closed it and turned back to Haku. She could hear his soft, labored breathing and jumped as he began hacking on blood. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from crying out in horror as she saw blood fly from his mouth and trickle out of the corner of his mouth.

_I've got to get help_, she thought to herself, picking up her cordless phone. She couldn't call the hospital, but she _could_ call her friend, whose parents were doctors. Quickly she dialed their number, tugging her hair as it rang over and over..._Finally_ her friend picked up the phone.

"Chihiro? What's wrong?" Her friend asked. Chihiro didn't ask how she knew; Rae always seemed to know when something was wrong. "Haku was hit by lightning and he's hurt badly I don't know what to do and your parents are doctors and I can't take him to the hospital!" Chihiro spoke in a rushed, anxious voice, that Rae barely understood. As soon as she heard "Haku" and "lightning" she guessed what had happened and had gone to get her parents. She quickly explained what had happened and then they began to hurry around, getting things they'd need.

Rae came back to the phone. "Chihiro, we're on our way," she said, and then hung up, running to help her parents.

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They were there within five minutes, in which Chihiro had been anxiously twisting her hands, pacing around the hallway.

Rae's parents quickly headed upstairs and went through the basics:

The Three B's--Breathing; Bleeding; Bones: Haku was breathing, but it was almost non-existent; he was bleeding internally, and miraculously he didn't have any broken bones. Then they checked their ABC's: Airway, Breathing and Circulation. His airway was full of blood and that hindered his breathing. His pulse was inconsistent...

They finally began CPR

* * *

Meanwhile, Rae and Chihiro were downstairs. Rae was humming quietly to herself. Sure, she was nervous, but she trusted her parents and she knew that Haku wouldn't let himself die on Chihiro.

Why was she so optimistic and naive sounding? It was because she was only thirteen and the magic of youth was still with her. But she also knew about life's dark sides.

She was tall for her age, appearing maybe fifteen, and was extremely developed for someone as young as herself. She had a full chest, and very long legs, which she used to kick the crud out of people's shins. Other than being a doctor, her dad was also a fifth degree blackbelt in karate. She herself had been training under him ever since she could walk.

Being American, without a great knowledge of Japanese culture and language, Rae was an outcast. Being an early bloomer, too, made her an object of teasing and rumors around her school. She had moved there from America just the summer before school had started, and since then her Japanese vocabulary had expanded and now she _understood _what people were saying about her. She wasn't so thrilled about that.

Rae had become withdrawn, dark and bitter, and lashed out at anyone who came near her. But when she had met Chihiro, something just clicked.

Chihiro had also been teased, but for a different reason: daydreaming and doodling in class. Chihiro also, being a tomboy, was tortured about not wearing the right outfit or having the right hairstyle. Girls hated her for hanging out with the 'guys-to-get' all the time, but the boys were who she fit in with. She wasn't about to change herself just so the teasing would stop...

Rae had eventually found who she fit in with: the older kids. She now hung out with Chihiro and Bran. Bran was a foreigner, just like Rae, except he came from Wales, and was sixteen. Unlike Rae, however, people adored him. The girls loved his mystery, accent, and unusual looks, as well as his hard-to-get attitude. Guys liked his ability to shake off girls, and also admired his athletic abilities. Bran's "strange looks" included white hair, pale skin, and bird like eyes. He was almost always wearing a baseball hat, because his lack of pigment made him vulnerable to the suns rays. Sunglasses, too, were almost constantly on his face, hiding the fact that his eyes were almond shaped and gold, with pupils that could grow to large sizes to allow him very accurate vision in the dark. Rae had always thought that his eyes were like a dragon's, or maybe a phoenix's.

Bran was tall and lean; often Rae compared him to a sword, or, less often (when she was annoyed at him), a twig.

Chihiro knew that Rae had a crush on Bran, and sometimes she wondered if Bran knew. Rae kept it well hidden, but sometimes she slipped up. When she heard that he had a date or liked a girl she would withdraw from the group and become a loner for a while. Her excuse for this was that sometimes she got overwhelmed by bullying at school, homework and other things, and just needed to be alone for a while. Chihiro knew that during those times Rae would cry all night long.

Sometimes Chihiro caught Rae staring forlornly at Bran when they were doing homework together, or sometimes Rae would become suddenly shy around Bran, and her excuse was that he was so tall that it made her feel uneasy and childish.

Rae herself knew she was being stupid, that it was just a stupid crush. She'd get over it. But sometimes she just couldn't bear it, and wished she could kill herself and get it over with. Stop the teasing and stop her pain.

As Chihiro anxiously paced the room, glancing at the stairs every few moments, Rae had sat down Indian style on the third step of the stairs, settling back to wait for her parents.

* * *

Finally, Rae's mom came down, looking a bit tired, but satisfied. "He's going to be alright, but I'd advise against going flying in a storm again," she said. Chihiro collapsed in relief onto the stairs at Rae, who immediately got up and began walking up the stairs. "I'll be right back," she said, sending her mom a "Don't let her follow 'till I'm through" look. 

She caught her dad as he came out of Chihiro's room. Before he could stop her she had slid inside and locked the door behind her. She remained there for a moment, listening over the rumble of thunder outside to her dad's fading footsteps.

"Chihiro?" She heard a weak voice mumble. She turned and shook her head. "No, I'm Rae. Chihiro's downstairs, worried sick about you." She walked over to him and helped him sit up enough for her to arrange the pillows more comfortably behind him. He watched as she took a blanket from a cedar chest at the foot of the bed, unfolded it and covered him with it. "You look a lot like her, from when I last saw her," he commented, before bursting into a fit of coughing. Rae shrugged, sending her elbow length, dark brown hair swinging. "We have a lot of differences," she said, and began to clean up the room.

"I've got longer, darker hair, hazel eyes, don't have bangs in the front, don't usually wear my hair in a ponytail, I'm a better fighter, and I hear I'm a lot more mature than she was when she was my age." She sighed and began stacking the still soggy drawings on the desk.

Haku watched as she gazed out the window, out across at where the Bathhouse was. "You took a long time in fulfilling your promise, Dragon," she said, turning to glare into his eyes. "Do you have any idea of how much she cried, how much she struggled to keep going when you never showed up? She waited, every second that passed without you there caused her as much pain as a knife against her wrist."

She raised her own arm and pulled back her sleeve to reveal it had three, thin scars. "She never went this far," she continued icily at Haku's horror filled expression, "but it was a miracle she didn't. I know six years can't be a lot to a River Spirit, but for a human---especially for a girl who's in love--that is eternity."

She dropped her arm and her angry look was replaced with sorrow. She picked up a drawing and showed it to him. "She has thousands of these."

Haku closed his eyes and fell back into the pillows. "I hurt me too," he said defensively. "I had Yubabba to deal with, and then the Bathhouse...and then I had to break the barrier..." His eyes snapped open and he glared at her. "If I could have come sooner don't you dare think that I would have passed that chance up. But there was no chance to escape before now. And now..." he sighed again, suddenly too tired to continue.

Rae sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I know...I'm only telling you because Chihiro's my best friend in the world, and I couldn't bear to see her get hurt any more..." She smiled slightly. "Now, I'll give her the OK and you two can kiss and make-up." She dodged a pillow and unlocked the door, slipping out just in time to avoid a second shot.

"Your boyfriend's awake," Rae said to Chihiro. Chihiro jumped up and looked at her younger friend with worry. "I hope you didn't cause any lasting damage," she said. Rae's mouth twitched but she bit back a grin. "Not physically," she said airily and then continued on.

Chihiro ran up the stairs, but suddenly froze outside the door. What if he didn't love her? The thought seemed horrifyingly possible and she felt as if she was going to be sick. Her grip on the doorknob tightened but then she summoned up all her courage. She opened the door.

He was lying on the bed, propped up by pillows, and covered in one of her old down comforters. He was staring out the window at the distant Bathhouse, looking deep in thought. She quietly closed the door and sat down at the foot of the bed. He looked up at her worriedly. "I'm sorry I took so long," he said, his eyebrows drawn together as he searched her face. She smiled. "Forget whatever she said," she said calmly. "She's trying to scare you."

He grimaced. "She succeeded then," he muttered. She grinned and began to gather her damp hair into a ponytail again. "What did she say?" she asked. He eyed her arms as her sleeves fell back, and was relieved when they were scar-less. She saw him and her grin faded. "I see." She sighed and looked sympathetically at the door. "Don't worry. That's just her way of saying she wants to be alone. And if you hurt me she will have to deal with you, and that would be a waste of precious sulking time."

Haku raised an eyebrow. "Well then, I just won't hurt you," he said.She blushed and he watched as she fiddled with her jacket zipper.

Silence filled the room, only broken by the occasional rumble of thunder. Finally Chihiro had to ask him; she could deal with disappointment, but she couldn't handle not knowing. "Hakudoyouloveme?" she asked, hardly daring to annunciate. She half hoped that he didn't understand what she had said. But he looked her deep in the eyes, the soft seriousness in his own green orbs, making her turn even redder than the color of her jacket. "Chihiro," he said quietly, reaching forward to take one of her hands. "I know you love me, and I'm shocked that you haven't given up on me by now...You're strong, independent, stubborn and kind hearted. You gave me friendship when I didn't deserve it, you saved my life...You gave me back my name." He pulled her closer. "Chihiro, you're more beautiful than all of Yubabba's jewels and I would trade anything just to stay by your side forever." He smiled slightly. "To make a long story short, yes, Chihiro, I love you with all my heart and soul."

Then he did what she had been dreaming of for years. He pressed his lips to hers and held her close. She could /feel/ his love for her, and wished she could stay that way forever.

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**Please review and tell me what you think...I don't own, as you know. **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Alright, so here's the next chapter...For some reason I feel likes it's crap. (Sobs) oh well...**

Rae finally deemed that Haku needed to rest and shoved Chihiro out of the room. Then she made him some tea and commanded him to sleep.

As soon as she had finished, Rae took out her ever present bandanna and put it on, keeping her collarbone length bangs back from her face. She left her shoes on the dry doorstep, and then stepped barefoot into the rain.

'I hope he treats you well,' was her last thought, before walking off for some "sulking time".

Chihiro had put on "The Cat Returns", which she had borrowed from Rae, and was now watching it in the family room. Haku, meanwhile, was asleep in Chihiro's room, dreaming about something which made him frown in his sleep. And Rae was standing in the middle of the local park, her face bared to the sky. She was only wearing a tank top and jeans--and all of her was soaked to the bone with summer rain.

A twig snapped behind her and she spun around, her wet hair slipping out from the bandanna and into her face. "Oh," she said in relief, seeing who it was. "It's only you." Bran chuckled; his wet, white hair seemingly silver, because it was dark with rain. "Oh yes _only_ me," he said sarcastically, crossing his arms and raising a pale eyebrow at her. "Am I chopped liver? I thought I deserved something more." His eyes glinted through his dark glasses as he gave her a roguish smile. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Why so full of yourself, Bran?" She asked. "Did Kimiko actually agree to go out with you on Friday?"

He turned deep red, and she knew he was cursing his pale complexion. She became even paler than she had been from standing in the rain for so long. She felt her eyes sting with unwanted tears and blinked them away rapidly, ready with her excuse of getting rain in her eyes. "Good for you," she heard herself say faintly. "_Diolch_," he murmured. They stood in silence for a while, Bran rapidly becoming soaked through his black jacket. "You're going to catch your death out here,_ Cariad_," he finally said.

She shrugged. "Chihiro's leaving...it doesn't really matter anymore," she said in response. He frowned, his eyes glinting through his wet sunglasses. "Really? Why? Where is she going?" He asked. "Haku came. He's recovering from being hit by lightning, but when he recovers, they'll go back to the Spirit World for sure," Rae answered forlornly. His expression cleared to that of understanding. "Oh. When do you think they'll go?" He asked, as with silent agreement they began to walk through the mud.

His sneakers were covered with mud now, and so were her delicate, white feet. She however, enjoyed the feeling of wet mud between her toes, even if they were rather numb. She didn't envy him--she hated the feeling of having wet shoes and socks. She didn't seem very much affected by the coldish rain, either, being soaked quite through, only in a tank top and jeans. Her bare skin was pale from the cold, and she shivered horribly now and then, but otherwise didn't seem to mind anything.

"You look pale," he murmured.

She shivered horribly and hugged herself, realizing just then how cold she was. Bran looked over at her and saw that her lips were a pale shade of blue. "I think we should get inside," he said firmly. He took her by her arm before she could protest and began dragging her toward his house, which was closest to the park.

She didn't protest, in fact she was getting slightly dizzy and had a pounding headache. _Maybe I shouldn't stand out in the rain so often_, she thought to herself. "You think?" Bran asked her, and she realized that she must have said it aloud. Her answer was to shiver again and cough a bit. When she coughed her headache was multiplied into that of what seemed like a jack-hammer pounding inside her skull. She swayed a bit as they walked, and Bran noticed. "Are you alright?" He asked worriedly, frowning once again. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately...

"Yea--no," she said, her eyes watering from the pounding in her head. "Let's just get inside." He nodded and then put an arm around her shoulders to keep her from falling. "We're almost there," he said and they set off at a faster pace.

When they finally got to his house (it was about a block away from Chihiro's) he took out his keys and unlocked the door, pushing Rae inside and steering her to the couch. "I'll be right back," he said, shutting the door and sprinting upstairs. Rae looked around at the room she was in.

There was a TV, as would be expected, and there were a bunch of shelves lining the wall, full of books from different places, including Wales. There was also some pictures on the wall of Bran's friends in Wales, which in Rae's opinion, was one of the most beautiful places she had ever seen (only in pictures though). It reminded her of parts of California...

She closed her eyes as her head pounded again. She heard Bran's footsteps as he came back downstairs. "Come on, let's get you dry," he said quietly, handing her a warm towel. She began to wipe off her face and wring out her hair. When she had finished she fell back, panting slightly, her face scrunched up. Her head hurt so, so much...

Bran put a hand to her forehead and bit his lip. It was hot. "Rae...You're burning up," he murmured, more to himself than to her. He took off his sunglasses and put them down to get a better look at her. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were at half mast, and filled with tears. One crystal drop slid down her cheek as she looked up at him. "I don't want her to leave," she whispered.

He slid his arms around her and held her close, not knowing how much it tortured her. "I know," he whispered. His warm breath tingled against her feverish skin. "I don't want her to leave either."

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**Again, I feel likes it's crap, but if you like it...**

**Well, Please Review and tell me what you think!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update, so here's chapter 4. It's a bit short but I sorta...lost my train of thought for this part of the story (don't worry I WILL finish it). I know where I want it to go, but it feels a bit forced at this stage...I hope that the feeling is just from an overworked mind, which is a reasonable thought, because we've got SO much homework and tests and such...ugh.**

**Here's chapter 3, and I apologize for it being so short. The later chapters will hopefully be much longer and much...better. **

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**Chihiro**

I opened the door to find my two friends standing underneath the overhang above the door--Bran's umbrella was leaning against the wall. "Hey guys," I said, stepping aside to let them through. Rae's feet were muddy and pale--not surprising, considering that she had left her shoes here. It wasn't surprising that she was here--wasting 'sulking time'--either. Bran was the only one who could get her out of that mood. The only surprising thing was that it looked like she had put up a fight this time; her face had blotches of red and she didn't look at Bran.

But when Rae stepped across the threshhold a new wave of tears spilled out of her eyes and she collapsed onto me in a sobbing heap. "Please don't leave!" She sobbed, her voice breaking, "I'm going to miss you!" I tried to comfort her, taking small steps towards the couch where I could sit down. I shot a look at Bran--only to find that he was gone. I looked around and saw him disappearing up the stairs.

Oh great, just what I needed--_another_ of my friends to give Haku a talk...I just hope he doesn't cause permanent damage...

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**Nigihayami Kohakunushi (Haku)**

I had woken a few moments ago, and I now felt MUCH better than before. The doorknob turned and the door opened slowly. I pushed myself up as a familiar figure walked inside and closed the door. He was not just familiar, but wet, too. His white hair was silver and hung in his eyes, and his jacket was dark and dripping. "You looked like a drowned cat," I said. He scowled at me. Almost immediately his clothes were dry and his hair was white again--not a single drop of water remained.

"I'm glad you're feeling better," he said, pulling out the chair from the desk by the window and sitting down on it, crossing his arms over the back and resting his chin on them. "So...What's going on back home?"

I sighed and shook my head. "There's talk of war," I began. "The Fire Lord's daughter disappeared and they blamed the Water Kingdom--and soon after the Water Kingdom's prince disappeared and they blamed it on the Fire Kingdom...there have been numerous attacks--not open war quite yet. The Wizard Howl is trying to peace to them, but you know: Once a fire has flared up it takes a while to cool down. He's currently staying at the Bathhouse with me. Yubabba's been gone ever since I won the Batthouse, but some of the Fire Kingdom attacks have her magic in them--and since she's left Boh with us she's obviously planning on taking the Bathhouse back...and she's not going to ask nicely."

I grimaced.

"I don't want her to take it back because I've only just managed to rip the last stupid contract and re-write them...Everyone was free to go, but they all are still there, under new and fairer contracts. If she comes back she'll turn them all into slaves again. I only JUST finished taking care of everything, and I came to finally see Chihiro." He didn't say anything, only nodded understandingly.

"And I was asked to bring you back too."

His expression changed. "Why?" he asked. "I can't just leave her!" "I know, but we've got a war. I'm not asking you to leave her--she can come too...of course, her human parents would object, but after that..." I shrugged. He rolled his eyes. "I can't take her! She's still a child. She wouldn't be able to handle it." "Chihiro was her age when she came to the Bathhouse. And your little 'child' is much tougher than Chihiro was when she was there. I think she can."

"I hate you," he muttered, but I knew he didn't mean it. If he did, I wouldn't be here, breathing. "You love her--you want to keep her safe," I said calmly, "I know, because I feel the same about Chihiro. But she can help--and so can your mistress."

"Who asked you to tell me to come back?" He asked me. "Your father."

He sighed and closed his eyes. "Fine. You've got me," he muttered. "When do you think we should get back?" "As soon as possible," I answered, pushing myself up and pushing the blanket off. "They don't know about me, and I'd like it to stay that way," he said. "It will be hard keeping it that way when you get back," I replied. He stood and walked out the door without answering. I followed.

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	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Sorry I took a bit more than a week but I feel a bit better…writing wise. My emotions are very confused, however. So that's why Rae's a bit…**

**Yeah, this chapter **_**IS**_** crap. I'm absolutely positive with it, but it's all I could do without ruining the rest of the story.**

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I opened my eyes to find that I was in Chihiro's living room, on the couch, lying on my side, covered in a blanket. With a strong, but light arm around my waist, holding me protectively close to the owner's chest. Oh _God…_My breathing stopped—quite literally—and my heart picked up the pace of a cheetah. I winced, hoping it didn't wake him.

A pair of icy fingers touched my cheek, sending thrills up my spine. And with said spine to his chest, I knew he could feel my shivers. His hand didn't drop away, however, and I remained frozen. "You've cooled down," Bran remarked calmly. His voice was low, quiet and cool against my neck. If I was a cat, my hair would have been standing on end. It was all I could do from turning around and—

I cut off that train of thought and watched with grim satisfaction as it crashed and burned. "You alright?" His voice was a purr—his cool cheek resting on my neck, fitting perfectly in the hollow between my collarbone and my jaw. He was seriously pushing my restraint—I could feel stinging in my eyes and I blinked furiously, grimacing to hide the obvious look of pain that was probably on my face. Or at least in my eyes.

He had always been able to tell when something was wrong—and often when things got out of hand on my part he'd be the best friend I could ever have hoped for. He'd look anywhere but at me, acting as though I was there but not. Doing nothing to ignite my feelings again, waiting for them to cool down enough for it to be as close to normal as possible between us.

But it never was normal, now was it?

His fingers played with my hair and I tensed again—how could he _do _this to me? Did he actually want a thirteen year old? My heart pounded faster in my chest, the flames inside burning higher. "Bran," I whispered angrily, hearing an edge of panic and desperation to my voice. Anger concealed my feelings. And I felt so much…Panic at this feeling of…I don't know what it was--panic at not knowing what I was feeling. What was the desperation for, though?—for him to continue, for this to not be a dream…or for him to stop before he broke my heart?

"Yes, Rachel?"

"S-st-stop it, please," I whispered. "Hm…" he made a soft humming noise and his touch left my hair, his cheek left my neck, his arm left my waist. But that was it—he was still laying there, against my back, his breath still tickling my skin.

"Rae, I was thinking…things will be very monotonous when she leaves. And you and I both know what would happen then—we'd drift away. Personally I don't like that idea very much…What do you think of…"

I could tell that his eyes flashed and that there was a crooked smile tugging at his lips.

"Running away—to the Spirit World?"

My breath caught and I rolled over to stare at him. Only, he was so much closer than I had thought. My lips were _centimeters_ from his, his nose was touching mine. He looked almost as surprised as I was—surprised, not dumb with shock—but pleased, too. I inhaled his sweet breath, my mouth suddenly very dry. It was as though his breath was water, and I had been in the desert for my entire life. I _needed _his breath…My mouth watered. His breath tasted of fresh mountain air, sweet and cool…

I closed my eyes and let my head fall away from his. "My parents would never agree," I said. I had found my voice, forced it to not whisper and appear like he was affecting me. I hated this, this feeling between him and me. I had dreamed of him returning the _feeling_, but now that he hinted he did, I was deathly afraid of it.

"Hmph," he huffed softly. I looked through lowered lashes to see he wasn't the least bit huffy—just the opposite. He looked as though I had agreed. His slight, sly smile softened and his eyes turned a melted, liquid gold. "That's what notes and camping trips are for," he said calmly. I couldn't handle it anymore, looking at his face, so I buried my face in his chest, inhaling his scent—he smelled so familiar—like a redwood forest in the morning, when it's filled with fog. "You thought it all out, didn't you?" I grumbled. "I even packed," he said with a surprisingly cheerful voice. He almost was never _cheerful._ Pleasant, yes. Quiet, usually. Happy, sometimes. But not outright _cheerful._

"Who are you and what did you do with Bran?" I asked into his neck. He tensed slightly, and I withdrew my face from his neck quickly, thinking that that was the trouble. But as he gazed into my eyes, frowning, I knew that it wasn't that. "Rachel," he said after a moment, "did you ever think there was…more to me?" His voice was hesitant, his eyes unsure of whether that was the right way to ask. I felt my cheeks flush and shook my head to clear that thought. That wasn't what he meant.

"Truthfully…yes," I said quietly. "You _have_ to have something more to you—no offense…but your eyes, your entire…you…it's just screaming, BIG MYSTERY!!" His frown turned upward at one corner in an amused smile. I smiled back slightly, but it didn't stay on my face long. He sighed and shook his head to himself. Then, in one fluid movement, he slid his arms under me, lifted me and stood. Then he set me upright. "What the hell are you playing at, Bran?!" I yelled, dizzy from the swinging up and down.

What the heck was he doing to me?

He ignored me and walked to the door. "Let's go leave the notes for your parents," he called. I considered being stubborn and protesting, but at that moment he looked over his shoulder with a soft look on his face. "Come on, Rae, you don't belong here…we need some adventure." He hadn't moved his lips, but I could just hear his voice, clear as day.

I blinked and then all thoughts of protest and stubbornness disappeared. He held the door open for me, and then we were stepping back out into the rain.

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_Love you,_

_Rachel _

Bran's head was just next to mine, his breath tickling my cheek. He was reading over my shoulder as I wrote my parents a note explaining that I was going on a 'camping trip' with Bran and Chihiro. I knew mom and dad would see right through it, but Bran didn't seem to be concerned. I signed my name with my trademark loop and then set the pencil down. "Bran—are you sure…?" I asked hesitantly, not daring to turn my face. _"__Cariad__,"_ he sighed, shaking his head. His white hair brushed against my skin and I very nearly screamed and ran.

"Of course I'm sure. But _you_ aren't," he stated. Suddenly he wrapped an arm around me and before I knew what happened I had been lifted and he had slid into the chair, setting me down on his lap. I let out a small shriek which he chuckled at. "Ugh, am I so small that you feel the need to treat me like a little sister?" I snapped at him. He smiled and shook his head. "Oh, then what about Kimiko?"

His eyes narrowed, the glittering, gold pools darkening to a feral yellow and black. He was silent as he stared at me. My heart skidded to a halt at the pain and anger in his eyes. And then suddenly he was resting his forehead on mine, his nose touching mine, his white eyelashes fluttering against mine. "Tell me who to choose," he murmured. "The girl who would beat the living daylights out of someone for hurting her friends, or the one who would huff and whine and flirt until she got her way? The girl who would as quickly take out a sword and plunge it into her own heart to save her friends as to fail in school just to make sure her friend is okay, or the girl who would dump her throw a tantrum over a broken nail and would dump her friends and fail in school just to get the hottest boys?"

I tried to breathe calmly through my nose, not through my mouth, to keep my head as well as not get drunk on his breath. "The second one—the _normal_ one. The one who's--" He growled in irritation and pressed his face closer to mine. "Are you lacking so much in the self-confidence that even _she_ is above you?" He whispered incredulously. His breath was warm on my skin and I felt my eyes closing, my lips parting as I leaned forward. They barely touched his before he pulled away. He was laughing again, and this time it reached his eyes. "I see," he said. His voice was husky as he raised a hand to my cheek, brushing along my jaw to my hair, brushing the brown strands from my eyes.

I closed my eyes again, leaning into his touch—it was like I was hypnotized. I felt his cool lips press against mine and the brakes on my world slammed down. My heart skipped a beat and I forgot how to breathe as I responded. Finally he pulled away and we stared at each other for a moment. My heart was banging against my ribs and my breath was coming in short, uneven gasps. That was one _hell_ of a first kiss, I thought to myself. Or were all kisses like that? I wouldn't know.

At that moment, he stood, his fingers entwining with mine. "Well then…" He took a deep breath, as though _he _was nervous. "Let's go find that adventure."

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**Again. It is crap.**


	6. AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hey guys.

I'm sorry it took me so long, and I'm sorry I've got your hopes up only for them to be dashed again. Y'see, I completely forgot about here, and I have no ideas myself. I've dumped these stories on my friend LovinaHolmes, and as she's a great writer, I'm sure you'll love what she does with them. She's free to do anything. I hope you guys can travel over to her profile and read her continuations/rewrites/whatevers of Thunderstruck, and the Mismatched Mutants.

Again, my apologies.

RWSW


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